Metaverse continues expansion with experiences across fashion and footwear

Fashion businesses including Hugo Boss and Clarks are stepping into the digital realm for Metaverse Fashion Week (MVFM), taking place this week from 28-31 March. 

MVFW is this year showcasing how fashion brands can interact with the digital realm to create individualised, on brand experiences. MVFW stresses that the digital realm should be accessible to all brands, regardless of price point or customer base.

Boss has created its first-ever AI-inspired showroom, serving as a digital extension of its Spring/Summer 2023 runway show. The Boss immersive showroom, hosted on Spatial, blends gamification with a digital shopping experience.

Users will have the opportunity to discover Boss products in a new, immersive way. Bridging the gap between the physical and the digital, the Metaverse concept is connected to the Boss online store. The five looks displayed in the space will be shoppable, linked to the relevant product pages on its ecommerce site.

Users who enter the digital space will be guided through the digital landscape and can discover each shoppable look and collect objects. Once a user completes the quest, they will be rewarded with a digital fashion item – a blue Boss suit (as seen on the Miami runway) which can then be worn on the multi-game avatar platform Ready Player Me.

Daniel Grieder, CEO of Hugo Boss, commented: "Following a line-up of NFT projects, the Boss immersive showroom is the next step in our exploration of Web3 and the Metaverse, exciting new spaces for fashion brands. We will leverage the opportunities this opens for our brand’s storytelling and see it as an additional sales channel within our future omnichannel strategy.

"The virtual showroom concept seamlessly complements our Spring/Summer 2023 runway show in Miami and brings us closer to our goal of becoming the leading premium tech-driven fashion platform worldwide."

Clarks is also taking part in Metaverse Fashion Week 2023, opting for an innovative digital arcade experience.

Entering the Metaverse for the second time, the iconic British shoe brand combined almost 200 years of expert craft with pioneering innovation to create an immersive entertainment hub, Clarks Arcade.

The brand experience is part carnival, part rooftop nightclub offering nostalgic activities such as Clarks-themed arcade games, dance battles and opportunities to win unique wearables based on our iconic silhouette.

At the centre of the Clarks Arcade is the Helter-Skel’TOR’, an amusement park replica of the iconic Somerset landmark synonymous with the Clarks brand in Glastonbury, England. The Clarks Arcade will feature geometric shapes and patterns that take inspiration from its spring/summer collection

Tara McRae, Chief Marketing and Digital Officer at Clarks, said: "Being a part of Metaverse Fashion Week not only allows us to highlight our products, but it also enables us to immerse our fans in our brand in a way like never before. This year’s Future Heritage theme invites us to pay homage to our roots.

"I think Clarks Arcade perfectly depicts our rich history and who we are today; an iconic shoe brand that continues to push the boundaries of unique style and innovation."